The northeastern Chinese province of Liaoning, which was once part of China’s industrial “rust belt”, has launched a CNY600bn (US$87bn) plan to expand clean energy production. The province is planning to develop six different energy “bases” of 10 GW each, which will comprise several projects.
They will include nuclear, offshore wind, pumped hydro energy storage, smart energy and two renewable energy projects. Smart energy involves virtual power plant networks that can monitor and optimize energy generation. No schedule was communicated for the project’s completion.
In its provincial five-year plan (2021-2025), Liaoning plans to boost its total power generating capacity 90 GW by 2025 (around 60 GW in 2020), with about half coming from non-fossil fuel sources. China wants to boost clean power generation in order to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2060.